On the front porch of our house, there’s a welcome mat that I cross every time I come and go. It’s a great spot to wipe the wet Pacific Northwest weather off the bottom of my shoes before coming back inside. Other than that, I rarely notice it.
A client session yesterday – and the memory of a great article written by creative self-development coach Jamie Ridler – brought up the idea of a welcome mat as more than a place to get the gunk off.
Jamie’s message is that when she’s feeling shy or hesitant about approaching someone (or she sees someone else looking shy or hesitant), she steps into her own personal power and “puts out the welcome mat” through a smile, handshake and sincere hello.
The twist on that comes from my client. She is moving through some rather challenging times in her personal life. There are occasional breaks in the clouds where she can see sunlight peeking through, but her prevailing internal weather system consists of mostly cloudy, strong chance of showers.
A phrase that sustains her is “one foot in front of the other,” in cooperation with “one day at a time.” My offering to her was this: what if each time you put one foot in front of the other, you were stepping onto your own personal welcome mat? What if each step was welcoming you back to yourself, your truth, your light and peace?
When was the last time you stepped into an unconditionally loving, judgment-free space that welcomed you home… to yourself?
It’s not an easy thing to do. It means stepping into each day with intention. Compassion. Hope. Love. It may not be easy, or come naturally. Yet, it’s a powerful way to come back to center, to invite more of what you desire into your life.
There’s a phrase I hear in church: “Not an easy peace, not an insignificant peace.” It acknowledges, for me, that peace is an intentional choice that I make, every day.
The personal welcome mat that appears in front of you with each step may say “Welcome,” “Peace,” “Love,” “Hope” or whatever is meaningful to you. The important thing is that you put it out there, that you make the choice to step into a space that honors your truth.
And then, put that welcome mat out for others, and watch as people around you feel the warmth of your welcome, moving from the soles of their feet into the soul of their being.
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